FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about using PermitZap and understanding NYC permit data.

General Questions

What is PermitZap?

NYC construction permit intelligence platform with instant access to 950,000+ NYC Department of Buildings permit filings. Search, filter, monitor, and export permit data with AI-powered alerts.

How is the data updated?

PermitZap syncs with NYC Open Data daily. New permit filings appear within 24 hours of being submitted to the DOB.

How many permits are in the database?

950,000+ permit filings and 750,000+ issued permits, with new data added daily.

Is this official NYC data?

Yes! PermitZap uses official data from:

  • NYC Open Data - DOB Permit Filings dataset
  • NYC Open Data - DOB Issued Permits dataset

All data comes directly from NYC Department of Buildings.

Account & Billing

Do I need an account to use PermitZap?

Yes, you need a free account to access PermitZap features. Sign up takes less than 2 minutes.

What's included in the free tier?

The free tier includes:

  • Browse all 950,000+ permit filings
  • Advanced search and filtering
  • Address and company lookup (150,000+ addresses, 55,000+ companies)
  • Export up to 1,000 permits per month
  • View full permit details

Note: Alerts require Premium subscription.

What does Premium include?

Premium adds:

  • AI-powered alerts (unlimited)
  • Organization workspaces
  • Document creation and management
  • Team messaging
  • Unlimited exports
  • Priority support
  • Advanced analytics

Can I upgrade or downgrade anytime?

Yes! Upgrade or downgrade your plan anytime from Account Settings. Changes take effect immediately.

Do you offer refunds?

Yes, we offer a 14-day money-back guarantee. Contact support if you're not satisfied.

Searching & Filtering

How do I search for a specific address?

  1. Go to Addresses page
  2. Enter the street address (e.g., "123 Broadway")
  3. Select from autocomplete results
  4. View all permits at that location

Can I search by company name?

Yes! Use the Companies page:

  1. Enter company name in search box
  2. View results instantly
  3. Click any company for complete history

Or search by license number for exact matches.

How do I filter by multiple criteria?

Use the filter sidebar on the Home page:

  1. Set multiple filters (date, type, cost, location)
  2. Filters work together (AND logic)
  3. Click Apply Filters to search

Example: "Manhattan" + "New Building" + "$1M-$5M" shows only new buildings in Manhattan in that cost range.

Why are my search results empty?

Common reasons:

  • Filters too restrictive: Try loosening some filters
  • No matching permits: Your criteria may be very specific
  • Date range too narrow: Expand the date range

Try clicking Clear Filters and start over.

Alerts

How do alerts work?

Alerts use AI to continuously monitor new permit filings:

  1. You write a query in natural language (Premium feature)
  2. AI analyzes new permits as they're imported
  3. When a permit matches, you get notified
  4. View matches in the Matching Permits tab

Key to success: Be SPECIFIC in your queries. Instead of "new building construction," specify "groundbreaking filings for new buildings" to avoid matching every status update.

How many alerts can I create?

  • Free tier: No alerts available
  • Premium tier: Unlimited alerts

Can I edit an existing alert?

Yes! From the Alerts page:

  1. Find your alert in the list
  2. Click the edit icon
  3. Modify query or settings
  4. Save changes

Why am I getting irrelevant matches?

AI matching is very accurate but not perfect. To improve:

  1. Make your query more specific
  2. Include cost ranges or location details
  3. Provide feedback (thumbs up/down) on matches
  4. Edit the alert query to refine

Can I pause an alert without deleting it?

Yes! Use the pause toggle on the Alerts page. Paused alerts don't match new permits but remain saved for reactivation.

Data & Permits

What's the difference between filings and permits?

Filings: Initial submissions to DOB (what you see first) Permits: Approved authorizations to begin work (comes later)

PermitZap primarily shows filings for earliest visibility. See Filings vs Permits for details.

Why do some permits show $0 cost?

Some reasons:

  • Cost not yet determined
  • Applicant didn't provide estimate
  • Work type doesn't require cost estimate
  • Data entry error

This is present in the source NYC data.

What does "Pass Rate" mean for companies?

Pass rate = (permits issued / total filings)

It shows what percentage of a company's filings result in issued permits. Higher pass rates indicate better compliance and expertise.

Can I see historical data?

Yes! The database includes permits going back several years. Use date filters to explore historical data.

How accurate is the address data?

Address data comes directly from NYC DOB and is generally very accurate. Occasionally you may see:

  • Abbreviations in street names
  • Typos in the source data
  • Normalized addresses

Exporting Data

What format is the export?

CSV (Comma-Separated Values), which opens in Excel, Google Sheets, and all spreadsheet software.

What data is included in exports?

All visible permit fields:

  • Address and location details
  • Job type and description
  • Costs and dates
  • Company information
  • Status and timeline
  • Building specifications

Are there export limits?

  • Free tier: 1,000 permits per month
  • Premium tier: Unlimited exports

Can I export filtered results?

Yes! Exports respect your active filters:

  1. Apply filters to narrow results
  2. Click Export
  3. Download includes only filtered permits

Or select specific permits to export just those.

Technical

Does PermitZap have an API?

Not currently, but it's on our roadmap. Join our mailing list for updates.

Can I integrate PermitZap with my tools?

Premium users can use webhook notifications to send alert matches to your own systems.

Is my data secure?

Yes:

  • All connections use HTTPS encryption
  • Data stored in secure SOC 2 compliant infrastructure
  • We never share your search history or alerts with third parties
  • See our Privacy Policy for details

What browsers are supported?

PermitZap works best on:

  • Chrome (recommended)
  • Firefox
  • Safari
  • Edge

Mobile browsers are supported but the desktop experience is optimized.

Getting Help

How do I contact support?

Email us at support@permitzap.co or use the feedback button in the app.

Do you offer training?

Yes! Premium users get priority onboarding calls. Contact support to schedule.

Can I request new features?

Absolutely! We love feedback. Use the in-app feedback button or email feature-requests@permitzap.co

Where can I report bugs?

Use the feedback button in the app or email support@permitzap.co. Please include:

  • What you were trying to do
  • What happened
  • Screenshots if possible

Still Have Questions?

Can't find what you're looking for?

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Managing Subscription